This blog is to help offer support to the Thomas Family and their daughter, Christi, in her battle against cancer. Please visit Christi's website at www.ChristiThomas.com to learn more. There, you'll find journals, photos and a lots of other information about this amazing child and her family.

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Friday, September 11, 2009

September 11th, 2002

Having difficulties sleeping again. Hmmmm. I guess I know why. September 11th, 2002. It was to be the day of Christi's first piano lesson and then we were going to overnight at a waterpark in Sandusky. Instead, we were in Columbus where Chrsiti was diganosed with the most deadly form of all childhood cancers - neuroblastoma, stage IV. Oh, I hate this evil, wicked disease robbing children of their childhood and parents of their child's lives. (I look into her eyes in this picture and can vividly see how scared she is, yet trying to smile for me to take her picture. What a brave sweetie pie! I miss her sooooooooooooooo much!)

Having lost a child myself I totally understand how you feel. September 11th - the anniversary of a sickening day for our whole country and you were dealth a horrific blow on that day too - a day when your world forever changed. I wish I could bring back our precious children.

I've followed Christi's story for quite some time now. Your posts are inspirational and teach us all what's important in life. This day is hard enough for me remembering '01, but what happened to you on this day in '02 must make it twice as hard. I continue to pray for your family in this difficult time.Love,Simone

It's amazing how a picture can tell a story like that. You'd never know by looking at her sweet face what a valiently fought battle she endured over the next 4 years of her precious life. Love and miss you sweet girl!

I believe I've shared this before but I wanted to write it again. It's about a little 'Christi kindness' story that I'll never forget. A couple years ago while walking to the bus stop I was thinking of Christi and wondering if the saying that angels drop pennies from heaven is really true... I happened to be a quarter short for the bus that day and was hoping the bus driver would let me on. While thinking of all this, I looked down and found a quarter on the sidewalk! I thought wow, Christi does even better than a penny! :)

We knew the 11th was Christi's diagnosis date; four years later, it was also the date that your Shayla chose, all on her own, to fly home and be with her bunny. Dear Angela, you wrote that day about crumpling at the gate after little Shayla's plane took off for Ohio, for home, and the loving arms of family and friends. You are a mother who has been split in two, so many times. Shayne is a father who expressed that severing one night, watching his daughter slip away. How eloquently he wrote of the "bar fight" instinct to "go down swinging" and how "every cry of pain activates muscles in my back"; how to reconcile letting his child go, with his natural instinct to "rage, rage at the dying of the light"?

Angela, you once wrote a valentine love note to Shayla, as you cared for Christi in Philadelphia. At that time in February, Dr. Maris was "concerned", and yanked Christi back, for us to have a few more precious months. September, and there was Angela, once again split, watching little Shayla get on that big airplane. Later, do you remember how you and Christi chuckled that Shayla would be talking to everyone and playing in the aisles of the plane?

Your family reminds me of an ancient redwood that splits, yet thrives to bring beauty to the world, shade and shelter to weary travelers--a tall, strong testament to the enduring power of love. There is nothing else to say, but that we love her, and miss her and pray so hard for her family and all of her friends, as they suffer her loss and struggle to stand in September.

I have been following your story for years-many times I have prayed and fasted for your family. I have cried for you, felt pain for you and become closer to Christ because of your daughter. Many hugs and prayers.Heatherha5009@gmail.com

Thank you for sharing your story. I can never imagine how you feel, but my heart goes out to you, and I wish you all the best in the future. I just wanted to let you know that Wellsphere's HealthBlogger Network has many people who are in a similar situation as you are. If you would like to share your experience and help others cope, I would encourage you to take a look at http://www.wellsphere.com/health-blogger, and to consider applying to join the HealthBlogger Network.